Changeling
by Elf Knight
Summary: Post-Brisingr - Eragon wakes up one morning to find that he has changed, somehow, into a dragon shapeshifter. How will this affect his Bond with Saphira and his quest to defeat Galbatorix? More importantly, how will it affect his relationship with Arya?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Once again I am starting a new fanfic but couldn't resist once the idea came to mind. Thus, I don't know how long it will go for or if it continues at all so keep those reviews coming! While I realize this is unrealistic, this is my fanfic so some of the character's personalities might be slightly different. I will try to keep them the same though and this takes place at the start of Book IV the day after Brisingr. Also, I don't own the Inheritance Cycle at all nor do I wish to. It was sadly cliché which is a shame although it does make for a nice way to pass the time. Well, here it is!

*takes a deep breath*

**Chapter One:** Dragonling

_Eragon! _

The draconic roar that awoke the weary Rider from his sleep caused the said young man to jolt up with a start. He winced as pain lanced up his back.

An unexpected largeness attached itself to his senses. He felt far bigger and stronger than normal.

And he was hungry!

He was so starving hungry he could even eat meat. Surprisingly, that felt right up his alley now.

He shrugged off the feeling and attempted to stand.

He failed miserably due to his legs and arms feeling thick, heavy, and cumbersome.

His ached something fierce.

What in the Empire had happened to him?

Giving up on rising from where he lay, he collapsed back onto the floor and decided to survey his surroundings.

He was alone in a huge stone room. He could only see a few windows way up top at the ceiling. To his surprise, they were at the ground level and he could see the feet of men, or elves, standing in front of them.

Hushed but excited voices descended from them ever downwards. They rippled like a wave rolling across the ocean. It was obvious that a lot of people were curious.

_About me?_ Eragon wondered.

Heaving a sigh, he shook his head and ran a hand through his brown hair only to freeze in mid-motion.

Chains stopped him from moving.

What in damnation was going on here? He was starting to panic and an alien fear of being caged in on all sides with no way to escape to the air and fly away.

What was he thinking?

He couldn't fly! He was a human, hybrid-thing! Or was he?

"Eragon," A voice called softly.

Eragon turned his head cautiously downwards and his heart skipped a beat.

Arya sat there on the floor. Her legs were folded beneath each other and her back was straight and erect. Lush, black hair cascaded down her shoulders contrasting sharply with her pale white skin. Her keen eyes stared out at him with evident concern.

She swallowed hard and Eragon began to feel afraid. The elf princess had never shown so much emotion before. What in the world was going on?

"Yes?" He asked.

Alarm hit him when his voice came out husky and guttural. He sounded like some kind of beast instead of a human. No. Not a beast – a dragon!

"What is happening to me?" Eragon asked Arya, desperately trying to ignore how strange his voice sounded.

"I know not," Arya whispered, looking at him with great sympathy. "All I know is that you are not what you once were. Something is happening to you Eragon. Whether it is for good or for evil, I cannot tell. But do not try to fight it..." She hesitated and then added. "...for me."

Eragon's heart did a little relay race as she said the last two words but then fear replaced the joy. What was she talking about.

Arya was already standing up though.

"I will show you what has befallen you if you swear to me in the Ancient Language not to panic," She said. "It may be a good thing, what is occurring within you, what is _changing_. Whatever the case, please promise me that you will not resist."

Eragon took a deep breath and it was his turn to gulp.

"I swear to remain calm and controlled," He said solemnly in the Ancient Language.

Arya favoured him with a small smile and walked over to a corner of the room. Eragon hadn't noticed it before but a curtain had covered the wall behind her.

Eragon's heart raced with a myriad of confusing emotions raging from excitement to suspicion. What was she hiding? What did she not want him to see?

At an agonizing pace, Arya reached towards the curtain and pulled it down. The thick cloth rippled and curled as it fell to the floor revealing a massive mirror hanging on the wall behind it.

Eragon gasped.

For there in the mirror, where his reflection should be, was a massive, silver dragon!

_**To be Continued...**_(hopefully)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Greetings all! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and I apologize for the short length of Chapter 1. It was more of a Prologue of sorts. I will try my best to improve that matter so hopefully Chapter 2 should be longer. Just to clear some things up, this fanfic is largely an Eragon/Arya romance fanfic. However, Eragon may be required to do the needful with Saphira to replenish the Dragon Race.

In light of that, I changed the rating to "M" to stay safe. My story has a will of its own so things might change though and I want to be able to adapt easily without anything holding it down. That's also why I changed the rating. Anyhow, onto the next chapter! Before it begins, I would like to mention that Eragon is having a flashback/remembrance of the Dragon Magic that changed him during the Blood-Oath Ceremony.

You know when those two twin elf women came and did that weird ritual on him? It's imperative to the story so grit your teeth and bear it. But enough said! It is without anything else to say and without any further ado that I humbly present to you the next episode of Changeling for your enjoyment and reviews. Keep them coming!

**Chapter 2:** Breakout

_As the dragon's baleful eye fell upon him, Eragon knew that the creature was no mere apparition but a conscious being bound and sustained by magic. Saphira and Glaedr's humming grew ever louder until it blocked all other sound from Eragon's ears. Above, the specter of their race looped down over the elves, brushing them with an insubstantial wing. It came to a stop before Eragon, engulfing him in an endless, whirling gaze. Bidden by some instinct, Eragon raised his right hand, his palm tingling._

_In his mind echoed a voice of fire: __Our gift so you may do what you must._

_The dragon bent his neck and, with his snout, touched the heart of Eragon's Gedwëy Ignasia. A spark jumped between them, and Eragon went rigid as incandescent heat poured through his body, consuming his insides. His vision flashed red and black, and the scar on his back burned as if branded. Fleeing to safety, he fell deep within himself, where darkness grasped him and he had not the strength to resist it._

_Last, he again heard the voice of fire say, __Our gift to you__._

"Eragon? Are you..."

Eragon snapped out of his reverie in shock and alarm.

The Dragon's gift!

Of course! That had to be it. When the phantom dragon Changed him in Du Weldenvarden, it must have done far more than he ever anticipated.

_Or anyone else for that matter,_ Eragon added ruefully.

"Eragon?" Arya demanded.

Eragon looked down at her sharply and a strange thing happened. A wave of heat and tumult of rolling emotions washed over him and his vision blurred.

He took a deep breath and did his best to stabilize himself.

When he looked down, however, Arya was different too. In his mind's eye he no longer saw of her as Arya the Elf Princess or Arya the Dragon Egg Courrier. He saw of her as...a mate?

"No!" He yelped.

"What ails you, Eragon?" Arya asked, looking worried and, perhaps, a little bit afraid.

That was odd.

Normally, Eragon could not perceive any amount of emotion due to that mask of impassiveness she always wore.

Now her facial expressions were easy to read.

What was going on here?

It had to be the Dragon Magic enhancing his senses! He sniffed the air cautiously only to breath in the strong scent of crushed pine needles.

Arya's scent.

The smell wafted up his nostrils and filled his being, intoxicating him, dousing him with another scorching wave of emotions.

_Take it easy,_ Eragon told himself, not trusting himself to speak. _Don't do anything you will regret. Arya has already rejected you and ... _

"Eragon what is happening to you?" Arya asked, worry was now evident in her voice.

She stood up.

Eragon could only watch her haplessly as an insanely strong desire took over him, making him want...

..._her_!

The word that escaped Eragon's throat was barely distinguishable from a growl but Arya heard it.

"Mine!"

The elf's eyes widened and she took a hesitant step back.

Eragon's mind was filled with arousing mental images of himself lying with...

_Must stop... _Eragon panted, struggling to remain subdued._ Must not harm her..._

"Mine!" The voice was a roar now and the walls shook.

Noises answered back, a ripple of wonder and concern.

Arya was inching her way back to the door, her eyes fixed on Eragon. She hesitated, her hand on the doorknob.

"Mine!" The dragon within Eragon howled.

_No!_ Eragon screamed.

But it was too late.

Before he or anyone else could react, the beast that had transformed him ripped loose of the chains, snatched up Arya, and disappeared in a flash of silver light.

_**To be Continued...**_


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm back! But before I begin Chapter Three, there are a few things I would like to say. First off, I don't own the _Inheritance Cycle_ (thank God for that!) but I do own certain changes I made to it such as Eragon's ability to shapeshift from a human (or whatever he is) into a dragon. Subsequently I would like to clear up what might have been a misunderstanding. Eragon is still the hybrid he is in the books (part-elf, part-human, and part-dwarf in name and dwarf law) but in my fanfic he now has the power to change into a dark silver dragon at will. He will have to hone his powers and learn how to use them, of course. But I just wanted to tell you that before you go getting the wrong idea, for anyone who doesn't know what a shapeshifter is meaning. Anyhow, now that I got all those boring details out of the way allow me to present you with my latest piece of fanfiction: Changeling – Chapter 3 – Concern!

**CHAPTER THREE:** CONCERN

When Eragon came to, he lay eagle-sprawled on his stomach in a relatively large forest glade. That was strange. He never remembered entering a forest before unless...unless he was back at Du Weldenvarden and his memory of turning into a dragon was some twisted dream. Wait a minute! Eragon's mind reeled. He had been a dragon?

A cold hand of fear seized his heart causing him to jolt into a sitting position. No sooner had he done so than pain lanced up his back. His shoulder muscles and arms ached with it. A feeling of utter exhaustion washed over him forcing him to collapse back down, only this time on his back. He still flung his arms out and just lay there, panting for breath.

What in the Empire was going on here? The last thing he remembered was being in dragon form, opening some kind of portal, and whisking Arya through it and away before anyone was the wiser. His eyes widened in growing dread and alarm as the full realization of what he had done exploded in his consciousness.

He, Eragon Shadeslayer, had just befouled the good name of the Varden and his liege lord – Nasuada – by surrendering to his newfound emotions and kidnapping, _kidnapping_ Arya, princess of the elves! Sweat beaded on his forehead as he thought of this. It was then that he realized he had better check up on her.

If Arya was harmed in anyway, Queen Islanzadí would kill him. Well, she'd have to wait in line because he would kill himself first. Desperate for help of any kind, he tried calling to Saphira again through the Bond. Not even the faintest trace of a signal reached him that his she-dragon was safe. A growl of frustration escaped Eragon's throat, startling him back into reality.

She-dragon? What nonsense was this? Why was he acting so blasted strange? With a sigh, he realized it had to be that confounded Dragon Magic changing him. But would it be for the better or for the worse? His thoughts only lingered on that for a brief moment, however, as a more pressing matter demanded his attention: Arya. He had to find out what happened to her before it was too late.

He sat up gingerly, now wary of making any sudden movements, and glanced around. His eyes that had previously been out of focus and vision blurred due to just waking up from a dead sleep coupled with that ice-cold fear began to normalize. He blinked a few times to rid himself of any remnants of that hazy state. Shaking his head to clear himself further, he stretched his arms but froze in mid-motion.

Arya lay not more than one or two feet beside him on her side. Her lush black hair was now tinged with dirt and something else – was that ash? – and tangled. It had fallen over her back and side, blocking his view of her face. His shoulders sagged in relief as he saw that she had her trade-mark leather outfit still on. It all seemed relatively intact. Well at least that much was good.

Hesitating at the remembrance of what had happened last time when she was alone with him, Eragon gently rolled Arya over so that she lay on her back. Other than a few dirt stains from falling and one or two minor bruises, the elf seemed fine. Still, that age-old feeling of protectiveness nagged him and Eragon relented, murmuring a spell to see how her life force was doing.

Several minutes later, Eragon was thoroughly relieved and it was only then that he could relax to the fullest knowing the elf he loved was truly safe. The Rider's breath caught in his throat at that wistful fancy. No. Arya was not really safe. Not so long as he was around. He had just turned into some kind of bizarre creature, technically not even half a dragon as no dragon would make a mistake like he had.

Shame gnawed at him, pointing out every single mistake and error he had ever made in his life. First and foremost, it was not telling Uncle Garrow and his brother Roran about Saphira's egg. If he had done so then there was a chance that one of his father figures would still be alive. Next, he should have left Saphira's egg in the Spine because then Roran and Katrina (not to mention the entire Village of Carvahal) would still be enjoying a good life back home where they belonged.

And so the list went on with each next mistake and error sending jolts of guilt and remorse through him as if he was being stabbed a thousand times. Finally, he could stand it no longer and let out an agonized yell to the sky rolling over so that he kneeled faced-down in the dirt. Cupping his hands to his face he let the tears flow bitterly as they gushed out of him madly. Everything wrong in the world seemed to be his fault. Anyway, it's not like he was some wise old sage. He was just a seventeen year old boy – a sorry excuse for one at that. He wasn't fit to be a Rider. He wasn't fit for anything!

"Eragon?"

Eragon started at the worried voice. It sounded like déjà all over again. He knew that voice though and just wanted it to go away and leave him in his misery. Although it was good to know that Arya was awake and well enough to worry about him, it didn't help anything. It just made matters worse to know that he had awoken her by resorting to tears like a spoiled toddler. Why couldn't he do anything right? He flinched, just then, as two familiar hands grasped his shoulders comfortingly and tried to raise him up.

"Go away," He mumbled awkwardly, shaking Arya off.

Arya removed her hand remained silent for a short while leaving Eragon to his misery. His shoulders began to tremble and his breathing was coming in ragged gasps as he wept. Normally, he would have been greatly embarrassed for Arya to see him like this but now he didn't care. Arya already hated him anyway for taking her like that and calling her 'Mine'. As if she was his mate! She rejected him – twice!

"What ails you, Eragon?" Arya queried softly not sounding hurt in the lightest at his rudeness.

"Me!" Eragon snapped, unthinking as he wallowed in his gloom.

"Why?" Arya questioned calmly.

"Because...because..." Eragon's voice quavered and he gave in to weakness.

What did she care anyway?

"'Because is no answer', Eragon," Arya said stoically. "Now tell me the _real_ reason."

"Fine!" Eragon hissed. "You want to know it?"

"Yes," Arya answered.

"Because I love you and you won't have me!" Eragon blurted out.

He heard a sharp intake of breath and Eragon felt shocked with himself for saying something as stupid as that. What in the Empire? Even King Galbatorix wouldn't be such a fool as to make that slip-up! He had really bungled it this time. First the dragon now this... What had gotten into him? Taking a deep breath, Eragon braced himself for Arya's reaction. But nothing surprised him more when Arya did the unthinkable. To his stunned amazement, she took him up in her arms with utmost care and placed his head on her shoulder.

A deep shudder ran through Eragon's body as he allowed himself to be laid down in a more comfortable position. Arya confused him even more by singing in some form of elvish and smoothing down his hair. More bewildered and shaken than ever at Arya's odd behaviour, Eragon closed his eyes with reluctance as he allowed himself to be soothed to sleep by the she-elf he had loved for so long and so faithfully. Before he drifted off, his last thoughts were of her.

_**To Be Continued...**_

**XXX**

**A/N:** While I realize this is uncharacteristic for Arya to do something like that, she has her reasons which will be explained in the next chapter. Sorry for not much happening but it's considerably larger than my other chapters and was more of a filler chapter. Also, I don't think there will be as much fighting as I had planned in the beginning but don't lose hope! Eragon will still have to defeat the Mad King (most probably) and confront Murtagh and Thorn. I won't have any of their POV's in this fanfic though except, perhaps, at the end. But that's for later so do comment on this chapter and I apologize for taking such a long time to write it. Procrastination is really my middle name, sad but true! Anyhow, that's about it for now folks. Until next time!

~ Elf Knight ~


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